HOLLYWOOD PRIVATE SCHOOL EXPANDS ITS GRADE LEVELS

The Emerald Hills Private School is expanding its program to accept fourth- and fifth-graders for the next school year, which begins in August.

Marvin Levin and his wife, Robin, who founded the school in 1992 as a nursery school, said a new building added to the campus at 3270 Stirling Road last November made offering the grades possible.

Although the building opened eight months ago, the Levins did not host its grand opening until last Thursday.

Marvin Levin said he was too busy last November helping some of the school's 100 students make the transition to the new facility to stop and celebrate the expansion.

"Within the community, July 4 always signifies a community and patriotism," he said.

"We thought the concept of the holiday really epitomized the concept that we'd like the school to represent."

Last year, the Levins started kindergarten through third-grade instruction. The addition of fourth and fifth grades was prompted by requests from parents who wanted to keep their children in private school longer, they said.

"Several of the students are at least one year ahead of their peers in public schools," Robin Levin said.

"If you give children a strong foundation, no matter where they go, they'll usually come out developmentally and academically ahead."

Besides the additional grades, the new facility has a new computer lab, dance studio and art studio.

The Levins custom-built the facility. Bookshelves are placed at about the same height as that of the students. A sink in the art studio is affixed to a wall, just a few feet from the ground so that children will not need a stepladder to reach it.

The lighting is bright; the ceilings are high to give students a feeling of limitlessness.

Next school year, dance and karate instruction will be added to the school's programs.

Robin Levin said because of limited resources, public schools are forced to devise formulaic education plans for students with varying capabilities and interests.

She said her students come out ahead because of the individual attention they receive.

The ratio of students to teachers is 10-1.

The Levins' school tailors curriculums to suit individual pupils. That individualized attention doesn't come cheaply: It costs up to $460 a month for a child to attend, and subsidies are not available.

The Levins said they challenge students by providing them with positive reinforcements in an atmosphere that encourages self-discovery and interaction with others.

They developed their teaching philosophy 20 years ago when they first met as teachers at a school in San Jose, Calif. While there, they taught children with emotional problems.